Dual lever pry type lid lifter



Sept. 8, 1953 HOPMANN 2,651,226

DUAL LEVER PRY TYPE LID LIFTER Filed Sept 24, 1951 Arthur E. h'opmann INVENTOR.

( uny 3% Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,651,226 DUAL LEVER PRY TYPE Ln) LIFTER Arthur E. Hopmaxm, Maplewood, Mo. Application September 24, 1951, Serial No. 247,942 3 Claims. (or 81-31) The present invention relates to certain new and'useful improvements in hand tools and'implements and has more particular referenceto an especially constructed implement which lends itselnfor multipurpose use when employed in connection with caps, lids and similar closures on food and commodity containers, for'exalnple,

jars, bottles and the like.

It goes without saying that the art to which the invention relates is highly developed and unceasingly active andupon making a survey thereof one would find innumerable a well as varied styles and forms of tools referred to as jar cap wrenches and lid and cap lifters and removers. With a view toward advancing the art and adding thereto a worthy contribution the instant inventionhas been evolved and produced. In carrying out the principles of the invention a preferred embodiment of the same embodies a pair of duplica-te lever units. Each unit has a handle portion and corresponding ends of the respective handle portions are linked and properly pivoted together for operational association. Novel cap wrenching and lifting components are providedon the outer free end portions of the respective lever units. r

More specifically, the invention has to do with the stated lever units therein intermediate portions have segmental toothed grips and right angularly disposed adapter flanges, the flanges being in a plane with each other and nicely adapted to rest on-the top portion of a screw cap to effectively apply the toothed cap wrenching grips;

A further object is to provide additional grips and these are disposed outwardly of the cap wrenching grips or jaws and are so designed that they cooperate intimately with the rim portion of a friction held lid and perform as lifters and serve to pry the lid loose without distorting the lid and'so that it may be easily taken off with ones fingers.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings. V V

In the accompanying sheet of drawingswherein like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout the'views: c 1.Figure 1 is. a bottom plan" view of a lid removing .tool or implement constructedin accordance with the principles of the invention a d h w the wrenching jaws as well as the hook-shaped lid lifters.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section taken on the plane of the section line -22 of Figure 1 wi h h itiq ei e .ioo .-nreverse to t shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view on a small scale showing the manner in which the tool is employed as a jar cap wrench.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view with the jar and cap in elevation and with the tool portions in section, the view being on the plane of the line 4-41): Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view showing the manner in which the tool is employed as a friction lid lifter and remover.

Figure 6 is a view showing the tool in edge elevation, 'said View being based on Figure 5 with the jar and friction cap appearing fragmentarily in elevation;

Referring now to Figure 1, observing what may be said to be the bottom or underside of the tool, the duplicate coplanar lever units are denoted by the numerals 8 and i0 respectively. Corresponding end portions I 2-42 are hingedly or pivotally connected atl4l4 with an intervening assembling and connecting link or plate H5. The portions of the units adjacent to the pivotal connections provide handles l8l8 and they have serpen'tine'bends which provide convenient finger grips. The outer free end portions of the lever units are fashioned into duplicate especially designed prying implements or lifters and for convenience' each lifter is denoted generally by the numeral 20. Actually, what happens isthat the extreme outer ends are curved inwardly toward eachother and are thus formed into coplanar return bends which may be conveniently referred to .as'hooks 22-22., The beak or bill portions 2 4.-24 of'the respective hooks. are directed inwardly toward each other and these are used as pilotingandprying claws in themanner shown infFig'uresS and ,6 where for example each bill portion fits into the space (seeFig. 6) ZBwhich exists ,between theshoulder 28 and lip 30. The shouldenis on the jar. 32 and the. lip on thefric: tion held lid. or cap 34. Of course,.all sorts of instruments are. used such as screw driver bits, knife blades, beer can punchers and what not, for pryingone side ofda lid open in an obvious fashion. Here, the lever units straddle the neck ofthe jar and hence the bill portions of the hooks are perched on the shoulder 28 at substantially diametrically. opposite pointsto' bring aboutha double acting lifting result. 7 Not. only are the .bill portions of .the hooks desirablein piloting and locating .the lever units, they areimmediately itssociatedwithl opposed neck embracing jaws 3-6-46 having longitudinally curvedsedge portion s3'8--3 8- which more or less conform to the curved shape of neck of the jar. Then, too, in addition. to these conforming grips 3636 there are inwardly projecting opposed V-sh'aped pro jections provided and these are slightly elevated tion and they are lifting elements proper. In other words. the jaws 36-36 with their edges 38 Of course, there are those who instead ofhooks will do the lifting and the adjacent gripping portions will then perform as the fulcrum members. Since no two people perform an oper ation with a tool precisely alike, the technique of use is not to be dwelled upon here. Only the constructional characteristics are significant.

The intermediate portions of the lever units are fashioned into special curvate bends 42-42 which are considerably greater in cross-section than the relatively thin cross-section of thefeatures just referred to in detail. The portions die-.42, also have opposed curvate inner edge surfaces and these are formed with teeth 4 -3-44 providing toothed jaws which may be actually referred to as cap wrenching and removing jaws. In. addition, these jaws have relatively thin segmental fiat flanges flit-e3 which are in a plane with each other and serve as adapters. That is to say, they are adapted to rest on the top portion of the screw cap it shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Here, a screw threaded portion so is provided with. a knurled gripping edge 52 for screwing and unscrewing the cap. The jar or container is de noted, by the numeral 54. The manner in which the flanges rest atop the cap is shown in Figures 3 and l and it will be obvious that by squeezing the lever units together and holding the same firmly the jaw wrenches come effectively into play. As a matter of fact, the extended hooked free. end portions of the respective leversmay also be used wherever necessary to assist in forcing and holding, the lever units firmly together and against the cap which is to be unscrewed. It follows, therefore, that, the lever units have common handle means l8-l8 at their pivoted ends while the free end portions which constitute lifting hooks. for prying lids off also may serve, under certain circumstances, as handle means. This means that. placing the toothed segmental grips intermediate the ends of the respective lever they are in an ideal position to permit over-all and satisfactory use of the levers.

Generically, it will be understood that the overall instrumentality is characterized by duplicate lever units hingedly connected together at corresponding ends with the adjacent portions constituting handles and with the intermediate portions having opposed gripping and removing devices and the outer free end portions having gripping and removing devices. Specifically, the first devices are toothed jar cap wrenches while the devices at the free ends are jar straddling, fulcruming and prying jaws. 7

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice provided no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. A. lid lifting and removing implement comprising a pair of opposed duplicate levers hingedly connected together at corresponding ends and having free end portions with return bends, said what is return bends defining hooks, said hooks having bill portions and said bill portions being adapted to pilot themselves into an existing space between a friction held lid and a shoulder on a jar whereby-they may then serve as both fulcruming and lifting members, the portions of the respective levers adjacent said hooks having longitudinally curved edges conformable with adjacent portions of the neck of the jar and being adapted to fit in said space and providing opposed jaws which may be used either as fulcruming members or lid lifting members as the case may be.

2-. A lid lifting tool for friction-held container lids comprising a pair of coplanar duplicate levers having serpentine handles hingedly connected at corresponding ends and having their opposite ends movable toward and from each other in a manner to effectively embrace jar necks of varying diameters, thelatter ends being curved inwardly toward each other in a plane with each other and in the same plane with said levers and terminating in coplanar return bends defining fulcruming and lifting hooks, said hooks embodying bill portions of restricted cross-sectional.

thickness which are thus adapted to readily pilot themselves into an existing space between a lid and an underlying shoulder on the associated jar when said levers are pressed toward each other, the inner opposite longitudinal edge portions of said levers spaced inwardly from said bill portions being longitudinally curved and providing jar neck embracing jaws which act simultaneously with said hooks, said jaws being of a crosssectional thickness conformable with the crosssection thickness of said hook so that they enter the stated space and are allowed to fulcrum on said shoulder, whereby said lid may be pried loose and forced off of the jar in substantially intact. form, permitting the lid to be handily replaced when desired.

3. A lid lifting tool for friction-held container lids comprising a pair of coplanar duplicate levers having serpentine handles hingedly connected at corresponding ends and having their opposite ends movable toward and from each other in a manner to effectively embrace jar necks of varying diameters, the latter ends being curved inwardly toward each other in a plane with each other and in the same plane with said levers and terminating in coplanar return bends defining fulcruming and lifting hooks, said hooks embodying bill portions, the inwardly facing longi-: tudinal edge portions of said levers being longi-t tudinally curved and providing a pair of embrac-i ing jaws, the latter being opposed to each other and spaced inwardly from the hooks.

ARTHUR E. HOPMANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 930,796 Quackenbush Aug. 10, 1909 1,466,118 Ciha 1 ,Aug'. 28,1923 1,51%,961 -Weil July 7, 1925 2,l41,7l3. Albert May 18, 1948 2,501,204 Boucher Mar. 21, 1950. 2,501,205 Boucher ..-1 Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 615,800 Great Britain Jan. 12, 1949 626,407 France May 9, 1927 

